U.S. Route 60 (Arizona–New Mexico–Texas)

U.S. Route 60 (Arizona–New Mexico–Texas)
State	AZ/NM/TX
Type	US
Route	60
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Los Angeles
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Virginia

Contents

U.S. Route 60 (Arizona–New Mexico–Texas) is a segment of the United States Numbered Highway System traversing portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas and connecting western Phoenix-area corridors with eastern transcontinental routes near Amarillo and beyond toward Louisville and Virginia. The corridor serves as an arterial link between metropolitan centers such as Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, and El Paso while intersecting national corridors like Interstate 10, Interstate 40, and Interstate 25. This segment passes through diverse landscapes including the Sonoran Desert, the Mogollon Rim, and the Llano Estacado and interfaces with tribal lands such as the Navajo Nation and the Tohono Oʼodham Nation.

Route description

The western approach in Arizona advances eastward from corridors near Los Angeles, threading through Gila River valleys, skirting Phoenix suburbs, and ascending the Mogollon Rim before meeting Interstate 40 at Winslow, where it converges with historic alignments near Route 66. Continuing into New Mexico, the highway crosses the Pueblo of Isleta, intersects Interstate 25 at Bernalillo, and traverses the Rio Grande basin toward Albuquerque, linking landmarks like Sandia Mountains, Kirtland Air Force Base, and University of New Mexico. East of Albuquerque the route climbs the Manzano Mountains, negotiates the Capitan Mountains approach, and descends into the Llano Estacado of eastern New Mexico and western Texas, where it meets US 87, US 84, and finally aligns with Interstate 40 and US 287 near Amarillo. Along the way, it serves communities including Globe, Socorro, Clovis, and Hereford and provides access to military and research sites such as White Sands Missile Range, Holloman Air Force Base, and Sandia National Laboratories.

Early 20th-century auto trails like the Bankhead Highway and Old Spanish Trail informed the present alignment through Arizona and New Mexico, while federal numbering under the U.S. Highway System in the 1920s codified the route amid contemporaries such as US 66 and US 80. Construction and paving projects during the New Deal era and wartime mobilization connected airfields and bases including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Bliss, stimulating realignments and bypasses in towns like Tucson and Las Cruces. Postwar interstate construction, notably Interstate 10 and Interstate 40, prompted truncations, concurrency adjustments with US 70 and US 180, and designation changes influenced by agencies such as the Arizona Department of Transportation, New Mexico Department of Transportation, and Texas Department of Transportation. Preservation efforts led by groups interested in historic preservation of highway features paralleled initiatives involving the National Register of Historic Places listings for bridges and motels along the corridor.

From west to east, principal junctions include interchanges with Interstate 10 near Phoenix, crossings at US 93 approaching Wickenburg, the meeting with Interstate 40 at Winslow and again near Flagstaff-area connections, concurrency segments with US 191 and US 180 in New Mexico, the interchange with Interstate 25 at Bernalillo, junctions with US 84 in Clovis, and final major connections to Interstate 40 and US 287 near Amarillo. Local intersections of note include access to Tucson International Airport, proximity to Albuquerque International Sunport, and spurs toward Roswell and Carlsbad via linked U.S. routes such as US 285 and US 380.

Concurrent designations and spur alignments include shared mileage with US 70, US 180, and alignments formerly signed as US 164 in earlier numbering schemes. State-maintained business loops and bypasses in municipalities like Globe, Socorro, and Clovis are administered under state route numbers by the Arizona Department of Transportation, New Mexico Department of Transportation, and Texas Department of Transportation, while scenic and historic byways that intersect include the Trail of the Ancients and corridors promoted by the National Scenic Byways Program and Route 66 associations. Designations affecting freight movement involve coordination with the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Traffic volumes vary from low-density rural stretches on the Llano Estacado to high urban flows in the Phoenix metropolitan area and Albuquerque metropolitan area, with freight-heavy convoys linking Los Angeles ports and El Paso border crossings via intermodal connectors like Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad interchange nodes. Seasonal tourism to destinations such as Grand Canyon National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and White Sands National Park elevates passenger counts, while military convoys and contractor traffic to Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range influence peak loads. Safety initiatives and pavement management programs coordinated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and state DOTs address crash hotspots, heavy vehicle restrictions, and bridge inspections influenced by standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Planned improvements include corridor resurfacing and capacity upgrades funded through state transportation plans and federal programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration and investment initiatives tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Proposed projects under study involve interchange reconfigurations near Albuquerque International Sunport, truck bypass proposals around Clovis, and safety enhancements on high-crash segments adjacent to White Sands Missile Range. Stakeholders including tribal governments like the Navajo Nation and municipal planners in Phoenix, Tucson, and Amarillo are engaged in environmental assessments pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act processes, while freight stakeholders such as FedEx and UPS monitor capacity expansions for supply-chain resilience.

Category:U.S. Highways in Arizona Category:U.S. Highways in New Mexico Category:U.S. Highways in Texas